The Vagrant Star
by RD-loves-RA
Summary: After falling so far, is it truly possible to carry on? For these ponies, the world they know is coming to an end at the hands of a mysterious organization bent on cleansing the impure. The Elements will face their greatest challenge yet, and their friends may just be the key to stopping a world-ending catastrophe. But is anything really as it seems, or is it all just hopeless?
1. Introduction

To understand the end result of any conflict, one must understand the intentions behind it. A war won is countered by the death and destruction left in its wake. A disease eradicated celebrates a cure while mourning the thousands who died before its completion. And a pony who stops the end of the world relishes the days before they lost themselves to blood and regret.

One conflict caught the eye of Equestria when it was almost too late. The sheer number of battles fought and ponies lost to get to where it all supposedly began was staggering, and some of the most important of these engagements were spear-headed by two ponies ripped from their old lives at a tender age.

Much like the conflict itself, these individuals were not born as a means to an end, but rather were made into a solution by those around them. Two ponies, one connected to the earth, the other a denizen of the skies. These two ponies would go on to help drive one of the most important campaigns Equestria would ever know to its end, their fates, and the fate of all they loved hanging in the balance.

And it all began, more or less, in a laboratory underneath Canterlot.

That place, what the two would call their home for over twelve years, was a place of great knowledge, and good intentions. But despite their compassion and nobility, the Princesses Celestia and Luna were blind to what really went on in the research and development wing of the castle.

A unicorn called Nova, manipulative and hungry for change, took it upon himself to set ablaze the old monarchy and usher in a new era, starting of course, with Aurora and Thundervolt.

Taken from their old lives without so much as a warning, Nova bred them into efficient combatants and even better killers. He gave them the best training, a thorough education, and a reason to keep going. He gave them the choice to stay and fight, or abandon his cause and sign their loved ones death warrants. They made the only choice they could live with, and became his two most infamous assassins, and surprisingly, his greatest weakness.

Nova wanted to give them the world, but he didn't stop to think about the repercussions of his actions. What toppling the monarchy would do, how the feelings of his agents would come back to bite him, and least of all, how his greatest invention would change the world forever.

The serum.

A bright green compound derived from unknown science and fused with magic, it altered the two ponies physical forms to make the ultimate soldiers. They became faster, more resilient, and were able to retain much more knowledge than they would be able to on their own. And then there were the side effects.

Thundervolt gained the ability to direct electricity through his body, behaving like a deadly strike of lightning. His wings set ablaze with electrons could slice through most materials with ease, and they boosted his flight speed three fold, just barely granting him the ability to keep up with Rainbow Dash at her fastest.

The cyan pegasus was left at the same orphanage as Thundervolt as an infant, and suffered at the hooves of Nova as well, losing the closest things she had to family on the way to her new path in life. Their best friend and mother figure disappeared, and the only father they could even try to claim lost his life in their defense.

Aurora came from much more mysterious circumstances, unaware of any immediate family or relatives. She was raised by the forests below Canterlot, and matured early as a result. Her one tie to that life came in the form of Octavia Pie, her best friend as a filly, and her only reason to keep living. Her powers remain an enigma, though she regenerates injuries much faster than her experimental partner, whose own healing is well beyond that of an ordinary pony.

Cursed with power, they followed orders for years, running missions all over Equestria, and spilling bad blood wherever they went. Those days haunted them, but they believed they were making a small difference as they cut down the truly evil souls that lurked the land in the shadows not even Celestia's sun could reach.

Once they'd had enough, they began to formulate a plan. With its execution, they managed to escape from Nova's clutches and pursue freedom where they could. But Nova had other plans, watching them closely and letting them roam according to his own design.

Aurora and Thundervolt spent two years on the run from Nova, in which they grew as ponies, coming into themselves for the first time. A failed attempt at a relationship split the two up, sending Aurora into a conflict she wasn't prepared for. Reuniting with her lost friend Octavia in the city of Manehattan, Aurora was quickly drawn into the dealings of a power hungry executive and a gang under her employ. It turned out she couldn't abandon her skills so easily.

Thundervolt followed her, and meeting with the few friends he had left in the city, managed to assist her where he could, keeping the mare out of serious danger and serving to alleviate his own guilty conscience. The resolution of this journey was the evolution of relationships, the sacrifice of good lives, and the new determination of a few proud ponies. And the city seemed to think that was worth it.

About a year after this ordeal, the two ponies decided it was time to put an end to their fugitive lives, and begin anew. To do so however, meant destroying the monster that made them. And so, to Canterlot they went, with only one objective.

To kill Nova.

Before they could enact their plan however, fate laughed in their face and stole their chance from them. A changeling invasion at the capitol city disrupted the royal wedding of Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, driving a hammer into their plans for a covert entrance.

Thundervolt barely made it out of the lab and away from Nova alive before a blinding white light pulsed out of the castle, sending changelings flying in all directions. What was seen as a miracle of love by all who attended the wedding, spelled disaster for the pegasus. A particularly heavy changeling struck Thundervolt, sending him hurtling towards the earth at a ridiculous speed.

Without his partner to intercept him, and without a wing to lift him up, he hit the ground hard, injuring himself severely and knocking his memories from his head for a short while.

Not long after the impact, the Element bearers returned from Canterlot and found his unconscious form at the bottom of a self-made ditch, lacking just about any clue to help them recover his place before the botched assassination.

A journey of self-discovery put his life back on track, where he fell for a kind pegasus mare by the name of Fluttershy. Her nature brought out a kind of hope he had lacked for years prior, and made him want to become a better pony. He regained contact to his roots and set out with Aurora to put an end to their suffering.

On the way to their former prison, they discovered that Nova had anticipated their return and kidnapped their friends. Fluttershy and Twilight who were unlucky enough to come across him in the Whitetail Woods were taken and held in the very cell that Aurora and Thundervolt had shared for years, watching as Nova slowly gave into his madness and guilt.

Seeing visions of his old friend Tempest, Thundervolt's caretaker, drove Nova to the edge. He began to slip, losing his grip on reality, and the plans he held for the world. Without a calm mind and the support of his proteges, he crumbled, falling to the hooves of the white pegasus in a close and long fought battle.

As the maniacal unicorn's unconscious form plummeted down to the bottom of Canterlot Caverns, Thundervolt fell unconscious, whereupon his friends came to his aid. The battle was won, and he and Aurora were finally free.

The victory, unfortunately, came at a price.

Stepping up to save her new friends in their time of need, Twilight Sparkle unsheathed her horn and went head to head with Nova. Seconds before she could knock him out of the fight, Rainbow Dash became the target of a deadly spell. Twilight threw herself in front of the blast, nearly dying in the process.

To keep her alive, Aurora made a hard decision, one that racked her with guilt. With a single dose of Nova's serum at hoof, she acted, plunging the syringe into the lavender unicorn and filling her with the very poison that ran through her veins. The solution saved Twilight's life, but the side effects would not become clear until about a month later.

Having enjoyed a few weeks of quiet bliss, it came time to shed light on the situation. The Princesses called for a meeting in which both parties would share all their secrets, and move on from the dark time that Nova brought upon them.

Aurora dreaded her days of silence. Though she found pleasure working the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, and the serene bliss of family life, she had begun to let guilt eat away at her soul. She remembered her days on the run, and her especially important run in with Octavia. Reluctantly, she told her story on their train ride to Canterlot, bringing up feelings and thoughts she had long since tried to bury.

With a new found resolve, Aurora decided to make things right between her and her friend. But to the horror of all her allies, she wouldn't get that chance.

Two mysterious ponies, twin sisters, had stowed away on the train. Ally and Megan, members of a spiteful organization called the Cult of Revelation, were sent to execute an attack on the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

These two ponies, much like Aurora and Thundervolt, possessed strange abilities. Ally's body was able to withstand disturbing levels of physical trauma, making her a pseudo-immortal. Megan, while much more fragile, was the owner of a set of eyes that pierced the world around them, literally bringing ponies to their knees.

Unprepared for a force so resistant, they were unable to stop the newcomers attack. The train heading for Canterlot derailed, careening into the river far below, dragging everyone on board with it. Everypony managed to escape with their lives, but Aurora was lost to the dark and raging water. To make matters worse, Twilight's powers exhibited a disturbing surge of power, bringing Applejack back from the brink of death.

Crippled by the loss of their friend, and burdened with unanswerable questions at every turn, the remaining group did the only thing they could stand to do when faced with such an obstacle.

They moved forward...


	2. Foreword

**I do not own anything other than the plot-line and any original characters.**

**MLP: FiM is property of Hasbro and Lauren Faust.**

**The Vagrant Star**

**By RD-Loves-RA**

Foreword

Darkness? Some ponies are afraid of it. Some ponies live in it long enough to find their way out. Others are consumed by it, their very souls twisting and bending to its will. In all cases, darkness blinds those exposed to its grasp. Their eyes dart in all directions, desperate to find just an ounce of light. For in that expression of light is hope, but with hope comes a crippling vice. The fleeting desire for things to get better crushed under the burden upheld by those who act on that fickle dream.

For what is improvement other than a generalization of 'things getting better'? Circumstances improve, but only in a less than desirable frame of reference. There will _always_ be suffering. There will _always_ be pain. These are truths universal to every great society, and every being in mortal existence. Nothing can stop this condition, and many have fallen trying. That is the tragedy of those who wish to make a difference. Of those brave few that die with a pure heart and nothing to show for it, and of those who harness the darkness, abandoning their own innocence in favor of wrenching others from its depths.

Make no mistake; it is far from a hopeless struggle. Through all of the pain, and all of the suffering, through darkness itself comes the light. Light breaks effortlessly through the dark because of the strength behind it, and because of the very _nature_ of darkness. It is merely a shroud that covers the good in the world. It is still there, and it won't disappear. It just takes the smallest spark to illuminate it. If a pony has any trace of light left in their heart, then they are capable of overpowering their darkness and assuming control of their destiny.

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but what they don't mention is that the path is not straight, nor is it impossible to turn from. In essence, it is _never_ too late to change.

_**-Princess Celestia on "The Fall of Princess Luna."**_

_May 17__th__, Year 231 of Celestia's Reign._


	3. Awakening

_**For a more detailed background, please read "Falling from the Sky" (8088644), and its sequel "Crescendos and Cupcakes" (8998444), the first two stories of this series. I will do my absolute best to make this story accessible for new readers however, so direct any questions to me via PM, or in the reviews and I will do my best to respond. With that out of the way, enjoy the story!**_

Chapter 1: Awakening

_**April 3**__**rd**__**, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign**_

_**(5 months ago)**_

The absence of light was an expected condition given the circumstances. What he didn't expect however, was for hell to feel as it did now. Burning in righteous fire felt oddly cold and wet.

_In all honesty, if floating around in darkness for all eternity is the extent of the afterlife's tricks, I am not impressed._

With that simple thought, he began to have trouble breathing. The stallion flailed his limbs about and choked out a stifled breath from the pain. Much to his surprise, he felt bubbles of air swirl around his body towards an unseen surface.

_Am I underwater?_

With great strain, the stallion struggled towards the surface, his entire body wrought with sheer agony. He broke through the top and took in a huge breath of air, filling his lungs greedily until they burned. Water poured down from his mane and into his eyes, forcing them shut. He spit water from his mouth and followed the gentle flow of the current. The stallion carefully tread water as best he could, straining to stay afloat thanks to a wave of fatigue.

A few feet of strained swimming and he reached what felt like the edge of the water. Pushing as hard as his limbs would allow, the stallion managed to drag himself from the water and collapse in a heap on its bank.

He laid there on his back, dripping wet from head to hoof and completely exhausted. About a half-hour had passed before he could muster up the smallest movement. As soon as he was able, he ran his hoof along his body, feeling for the source of the pain. Much to his chagrin he located the source, or sources, rather quickly. Cuts, bruises, and gashes were spread generously across his frame, and though he couldn't quite tell, the stallion assumed _something_ was broken.

A sudden realization sent a chill down his spine, and in a panic he moved his hoof towards his horn. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt that his favorite cranial appendage was left unscathed. The unicorn focused, and determined that he had plenty of magic left in him to cast a basic healing spell.

The stallion focused magic into his horn, causing it to glow a deep red. With the dim light now cutting through the darkness, he could finally see his surroundings. He was in a very dark, cave-like tunnel with no exit in sight. It was essentially a long path that allowed water to flow through. On one side, there was the sound of a rushing flow, indicating the source of the mild current.

The unicorn turned his attention to his own body, watching as the smaller injuries began to close up and dissipate. Within minutes, his dark gray coat was completely scare free, save for the remaining blood stains littered about. They matched his tail and mane in color thanks to the dim light.

_Nova, you're far too lucky for your own good._

The dark gray unicorn struggled to stand, deciding that the rest of his medical procedures should be conducted somewhere that wasn't pitch black. Nova opted to follow the flow of the water out of the tunnel. He walked along the bank of the water, limping slowly along thanks to what felt like a sprain in his left shoulder.

Nova kept his horn glowing as he hobbled along, granting him a ten foot field of vision; just enough to keep him from falling back into the underground river. The walk gave the stallion enough time to piece together what happened prior.

_I should have died. I fell at least seven stories; my body was limp the whole time. I don't remember a water source at the bottom of that pit. Wait…of course. The waterfall. It must have filled an area large enough to cushion my descent. I'll have to thank Thundervolt for opening that up._

The darkness of the tunnel seemed to stretch on endlessly, a new twist or turn around each bend. Slowly however, the end drew nearer, light becoming visible from a viable exit. Nova increased his speed out of impatience, eager to remove himself from underneath Canterlot's massive mountain.

A minute later, the dark gray unicorn emerged from the cave into the brightly lit woods below the royal city. Barely taking the time to look around, Nova limped towards the nearest tree and set himself down beside it. He took a few minutes to rest before resuming his medical treatment.

With enough light to work by, Nova had the ability to see how bad his condition truly was. Three cracked ribs and another one broken were the cause of his labored breathing. The muscles around them were bruised, creating an uncomfortable tension with each breath.

Just as he thought, his left shoulder blade was also damaged, and the ligament was all but torn. There was some internal bleeding, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. All in all, Nova's condition was bad, but he'd be back on his hooves soon.

A red aura surrounded Nova's horn as he began healing himself. He began by mending each of the ribs, ensuring he could breathe easy. Once each injury was targeted, he was free to let his thoughts wander without fear of dropping or muddling the spell.

_Look at yourself Nova, you're a wreck. Your plans fell apart and the pieces fell to the ground, crushing you underneath. How could you of all ponies let that happen?_

Without an answer for himself, the unicorn focused on his treatment. One rib, namely the broken one, was almost fully healed. It was proving to be quite a long process, mostly thanks to the extent of his injuries and his now drained reserve of magic.

_What wouldn't I give to heal like those two. My serum could be so effective in keeping me up and running. I just wish I had managed to stabilize the compound for safe use with unicorn test subjects._

Dismissing the thought, Nova looked closer at his surroundings. A thick collection of trees lined the base of Canterlot's majestic cliff face. Based on the position of the city, Nova surmised that he was somewhere in the Northern section of the Whitetail Woods. Not a dangerous place, but closer than he wanted to be to royalty right now.

_I'll just sit here quietly and pray that I am not found._

"Found by who?"

"Fuuh!" Nova tried to swear frantically as he jumped out of his skin. "Stop doing that!"

"Stop doing what?"

"_That!_ That thing you do where you pop up randomly and try to induce a heart attack!" Nova said, glaring at the new presence before him.

A bright red pegasus with a black mane and lavender eyes had materialized before the injured unicorn. He brought with him an unwelcome cheerful demeanor, and his special blend of commentary and criticism.

"I still don't know how you get surprised by me."

"Because despite my general awareness, I can't hear something that isn't real as it approaches." Nova said tersely.

"Hey, just because you're the only one who can see me doesn't mean I'm any less real."

"You are nothing more than a symptom of my apparent psychosis." Nova spat viciously. "You are not the real Tempest."

"I know that. You left the real one to die in a ditch, destroyed his life, and kept a changeling that looked like him in a cage for about twelve years." Tempest said, putting on a venomous grin. "I guess that means I'm your guilty conscience."

"I've never known one of those to stick around, pretending to be your friend."

"Well, I guess I'm also your imaginary pal."

Nova wanted to reply, but he couldn't really argue with that statement. Debating with an extension of your own psyche is pointless, considering they know exactly where to find the faults in your stance. The shit eating grin slathered across his face wasn't helping either.

"Well, since you're here, you might as well make yourself useful." Nova said, gaining the pegasus' attention. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Hmmm, good question. A better one, why don't you look up and use your brain?" Tempest replied cheekily.

Nova ignored the sarcasm and looked towards the sky, noting the suns position behind the city. He had been knocked out late last night, and now it was late morning. The numbers added up nicely. A few hours forcibly put to rest wouldn't do that much harm.

"They couldn't have gone far in that time. They may still be in the city." Nova said calmly.

"You're going back? Didn't you learn from the last time? That happened _yesterday_!" Tempest said, doubt rising towards the surface.

"Quite the opposite. I'm persistent, not suicidal." Nova responded. "I'm going to head as far away from here as I can. There's no point in getting overzealous and challenging them again."

Nova's horn stopped glowing, and he stood up to test each of his extremities. He was still very sore, but everything was working.

"So you're giving up? Never known you to be that type." Tempest said mockingly.

"No, but I won't be able to continue for a good while." Nova said pensively. "First thing's first. Let us depart."

"Our destination being?"

"Anywhere but here."

* * *

><p><em><strong>April 8<strong>__**th**__**, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign**_

The snow-capped mountains marking the start of the Frozen North had become visible hours ago. As Nova walked along the dirt road to Vanhoover he couldn't help but stare at the majestic sight. The Crystal mountain range extended largely unbroken from the eastern to the western coast, playing host to many settlements along the base.

One such settlement was a small town about fifteen kilometers outside of Vanhoover. Though it was relatively close, it remained fairly rural thanks to its location in between two of the northern mountains. The near constant snowfall on the mountains provided the town plenty of water, making irrigation the least of their worries, while the cold growing season occupied the greater section of the year.

About a quarter mile stood between Nova and the town, which would mark his first stop on his inevitable run from the law. Fate would have it that it was drawing near to the middle of spring. This would ensure open space in the town's motel, now that anypony on holiday would be back to work by now.

It took him about an hour to walk through the small, forested area to the front of the settlement thanks to his sight-seeing pace. The dark grey unicorn laid eyes on the town and couldn't help but smile. It was peaceful towns like this that truly made Nova feel at home. Maybe it was the fact that he was raised in a small town, or maybe it was because it was a nice change of pace.

"Or maybe you're just glad nopony will think to look for you here."

"I was beginning to think you'd lost interest in me." Nova said sarcastically.

"I couldn't possibly. You're just too much fun. You always were." Tempest said reminiscently.

"I'm sure I was." Nova replied flatly. As he drew nearer to the town's gate, he noticed a familiar wooden sign. "Eingehoof Proper. We've made it."

"Population…247?" Tempest said with surprise. "This place is still as tiny as ever!"

"That's exactly what I was hoping for." Nova replied as he walked into the quiet town.

Eingehoof wasn't a very well-known place. Ever since it was founded by Heinz Wolkefeder in the year 471, the settlement had stayed off of most maps of Equestria. Arguments circulated as to why, but the popular conclusion was that it was because Heinz was a Gryphon straight off the boat from Greifenraum. In a land of ponies, what place did a Gryphon have founding a town?

That didn't really matter now though. The town grew to a couple hundred griffins and ponies, the latter being the more prevalent now, and stayed quiet ever since. The picture of peace, secluded off in the mountains away from anything and everything stressful.

_That's probably why he dragged me here in the first place._

"It is actually. You're still wound-up to hell, it's good we're coming back here." Tempest said in reply to Nova's thought.

"I'll admit, I thought you were stupid to bring us here while we were on leave." Nova said, a small smile escaping onto his face.

"And yet it was one of the best memories you have to this day."

"That's because I didn't spend the night with you." Nova said cheekily.

"Only because I stopped you from yelling at that poor girl! What was her name again?" Tempest asked, unsure of the detail.

"If you don't remember, I surely won't." Nova said almost longingly. "I just remember her being very pushy."

"Just the way you like 'em, right?" Tempest asked, teasing the unicorn.

"Just the way I like them." Nova replied with a smile.

Nova and his ethereal companion walked around the town for hours, taking in the sights and reminiscing about their trip. Nova knew the circumstances, but that didn't prevent him from enjoying himself, if only for the day. He ate at the local bistro, ordering his favorite dish, a carrot lettuce tomato sandwich with black coffee. After his meal, he settled down at Eingehoof's only inn, in room number seven; Tempest's room.

"So what, you're calling it a night?" The bright red pegasus asked with evident disappointment.

"I was going to. What else did you have in mind?" Nova asked curiously. He thought for a moment and then verbalized in unison with Tempest. "The Hammered Stallion."

* * *

><p>"It's a good thing these seats were open. It looks like the bar is packed tonight." Tempest said, taking in the sights.<p>

"Yes, it's always a pleasure to be seated quickly." Nova replied. "This place hasn't changed a bit. It's amazing."

"Yea, if you like the old intrigues of a senile griffin and the smell of pine." Tempest shot back.

"Those both sound like things you'd enjoy."

"I know, they're great!"

"Excuse you, but you are presently sitting in The _Great_ and _Powerful_ Trixie's seat."

"Pardon?" Nova said with disdain, adjusting his gaze towards the source of the noise now drilling into his eardrums.

There standing next to him in the bar was a young, azure unicorn mare with a silver mane and piercing lavender eyes. She had a cutie mark resembling a magic wand, indicating she was skilled with some type of magic beyond that of a standard unicorn. She was a pretty young thing, but the angry scowl she wore detracted greatly from her charm.

"Trixie said move, as you are preventing her from sitting down." The mare said, noticeably irritated.

Nova's hoof began to tremble, as he was swiftly becoming ready to strike the unicorn for being so audacious and full of herself. Tempest rested a ghostly hoof on his shoulder however, calming the dark gray unicorn down enough to exercise his silver tongue.

"I propose a counter-offer, Trixie." Nova said calmly, fixing his blood red eyes on the mare. "How about you sit down in the seat next to me instead, and I'll buy us a round of drinks in recompense for the inconvenience you've suffered."

"Hmmmmm..." The azure mare contemplated the offer before smiling confidently and replying. "Trixie accepts your offer, as she is much too parched to continue her argument."

The azure unicorn sat down beside Nova and ordered the two of them drinks, not bothering to see what Nova wanted. In a moment, two drinks slid down the bar towards the two ponies. A glass of scotch on the rocks coming to a rest in front of Nova, and a bright green Appletini stopping in front of Trixie. Nova reached for his drink, but his hoof was slapped away by the silver maned mare.

"The liquids position is incorrect. Trixie does not tolerate such a foul beverage." Trixie switched the Appletini and the scotch, picking the latter up and downing it herself. "The fruity beverage is yours..."

"Nova." The dark grey unicorn replied, eyeing the Appletini suspiciously. "I'm curious, why such a flamboyant cocktail?"

"The Appletini is very sour, just like yourself." Trixie said with a sly smile. "Trixie felt the choice was appropriate."

"I see. You put a lot of thought into that." Nova said, returning her smile with a grin of his own. "Is that why you ordered the scotch?"

"Trixie wishes to know what you're implying."

"Oh nothing. I don't mean to say that you're rough and unpleasant, _or_ that you smell of wood chips."

Trixie didn't reply. She merely scowled at Nova and ordered another round of scotch, this time sending one Nova's way. She didn't guzzle the glass this time; instead, she sipped it and set her eyes on the dark gray unicorn.

"You'll be buying this round as well, just for that comment." The azure unicorn said flatly, grinning at the dark gray unicorn.

"I suppose I deserve as much. I might as well use the fund before it's cut off." Nova said dismissively.

"Fund? Trixie would like to know more." Trixie asked curiously.

"I used to work in research, and I have access to a decent grant." Nova said flatly. "I recently left to pursue other mediums, and I imagine the they will be canceling my account shortly."

"Is that so?" Trixie asked, sinisterly raising an eyebrow. "Bartender, the bottle if you will?"

A bottle of premium scotch filled three-quarters of the way slid across the counter, stopping in between the two unicorns. Trixie did not bat an eye at the bottle. Nova didn't take his eyes of the azure unicorn as he studied her intently.

"You're one to push your luck, aren't you?" The dark grey unicorn said bitterly, with an edge of humor.

"Trixie does not believe in luck. Trixie only believes in circumstance, and the circumstances now are that you have money that will soon disappear, and if you don't spend it now, you never will." The azure unicorn finished her glass and levitated the bottle of scotch, filling her glass yet again.

"You have a point my dear." Nova said, siding with Trixie's logic. "Bartender? Another Appletini and your finest bottle of Spiced Hard Apple Cider."

"Here's to alcohol, the solution to all of life's problems." Trixie said jokingly, levitating her scotch glass for a toast.

"Hmph, how crude. To alcohol, then." Nova levitated his drink and tapped it against Trixie's scotch.

"Awww, look. You made a friend." Tempest said, teasing the dark gray unicorn.

Nova said nothing, and instead enjoyed the surreal moment unfolding before him.

* * *

><p>Night had crept up on the small town slowly but surely, but for Nova, it had arrived in an instant. The evening started out with drinking, then there was some more drinking, and of course he couldn't forget the drinking. Now, one bathroom break and an established tab later, the dark gray unicorn was stumbling out of a bar late at night with an equally drunk companion at his side.<p>

Trixie; that brash little mare could definitely be counted among the elite of drunks in Equestria. Calling that girl a heavyweight was like comparing the sun to a lit match. Apparently even she had her limit however, as she was now trying desperately to stand next to Nova without falling over. Bracing herself against the dark gray unicorn was a fruitless effort however, and soon she was lying on the ground, fast asleep in a puddle of her own drool.

Nova looked down at the azure mare and decided that leaving her out in the middle of the night was probably rude. It took all of his concentration, but Nova managed to lift the mare onto his back and began to stumble towards the inn he had previously checked into. The journey was a blur, but after a jumbled fifteen minutes or so, Nova made it back to his room complete with his unconscious friend in tow.

The dark gray unicorn stumbled towards the bed, and less than gracefully dropped Trixie onto his side of the mattress. The mare didn't wake up. Instead, her unconscious body seemed to realize she was on a double bed and she stretched herself out, rolling onto her stomach with her flank in the air. Nova didn't want the mare choking on her own vomit in her sleep, and so he did his best to rotate her.

Once lying on her side, Nova couldn't help but look over the azure unicorn with intrigue. The moonlight coming in through the window shined on her coat, and her mane lit up brilliantly, sparkling like the stars. Her curves seemed to flow gracefully with the light, accentuating her features beyond compare. Her shoulders were petite and relaxed, and her flanks were rounded and exceptionally toned. Nova couldn't help but recall how soft she felt on his back on the walk to the Inn, and how she felt on his hooves when he moved her...

"Snap...Snap yourself out of it Nova. It's the drink talking, not you." The dark gray unicorn said, averting his eyes from the silver maned beauty before him. "You're drunk, and she's unconscious. You are a bad pony, but you are _not_ a rapist..."

Nova stole one more glance at Trixie, whose unconscious form only seemed to beckon him further, before hobbling over to the other side of the room and collapsing into himself. He was asleep before he hit the ground.

* * *

><p>Morning came much sooner than Nova would have liked. The curtains left open the previous night now let in copious amounts of sunlight, blinding the stallion and causing his head to throb unpleasantly. With great effort, he stood up and groggily walked over to close the blinds. Nova blinked the sun spots from his eyes and surveyed the room slowly.<p>

"Empty." The stallion said, sounding uncharacteristically disappointed.

There was no reason he should have expected to find the mare the following morning, however her absence still stung ever so slightly. She'd managed to worm her way into his thoughts, a rare feat for such an unfamiliar pony. Nova did his best to banish her still stunning image from his mind as he entered the bathroom.

He readied himself to take on the day, having a long journey to nowhere resting on his plate. As he washed his face in the sink, the dark gray stallion heard the door to his room shut. Nova turned off the flow of water and went to investigate. He opened the door of the bathroom, and before he could think to suppress it, a genuine smile found its way onto his countenance.

"Well, it's excellent to see you didn't die in your sleep," Trixie said, teasing the stallion as she set two bags she was levitating down on the table beside her, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd drank yourself to death."

"No, I'm fine. Just a little old for this kind of thing." Nova said with a slightly bitter laugh. "Forgive me for being so frank, but I thought you had taken your leave."

"Not before treating you to breakfast." Trixie levitated one of the bags over towards Nova, who extended his own magic over the object, sending a tingling sensation through both unicorns. "Ooh! Wow…"

"I'm sorry"—

"You…You're a powerful unicorn," Trixie said, staring widely at the stallion, "Even more powerful than…"

"You felt like quite the caster yourself, if I may say so." Nova replied coolly, diffusing the topic.

It wasn't a lie. Trixie had a huge reserve of magic that she didn't seem to know was there. He'd seen the same situation in another unicorn about her age. The only difference was that the lavender nightmare had been able to tap into her hidden power. This mare was blissfully unaware of her potential.

"Trixie…_I_ thank you for the compliment. I specialize in illusionist magic and alteration spells." The azure unicorn said meekly. "What about you?"

Nova choked back his doubts and responded. "I've dabbled in most fields of magic, but I'm strongest with offensive spells, and am well versed with many technical applications."

"Wait…were you a combat medic?" Trixie asked. Nova was impressed with her deduction.

"Not officially, but I was in the navy and I frequently provided medical assistance to anypony that needed it." Nova stated, surprised at how easily he was confiding in the mare.

"I've never met anypony from the navy."

"I've never met anypony I could speak to about that."

"Trixie feels so special." Trixie said, half sarcastically. "I take it you aren't the type to share so easily."

"Not usually. I blame the alcohol." Nova said bitterly.

"You're sober. Trixie demands a better explanation!"

"Stubborn…" Nova audibly sighed and the smile disappeared from his face. "I'm not somepony you or anypony for that matter should trust."

"If Trixie can't trust you, how can she trust what you just said?" The mare asked jokingly.

"You can't." Nova said, standing up and gathering the few belongings he had acquired from the town. Mostly just a pair of saddlebags and some provisions. Though he had a heavy heart at the moment, he understood he couldn't stay. "It doesn't matter, regardless. I must be leaving now. Thank you for breakfast, I appreciate it."

"Where are you going?" Trixie asked in surprise.

"Away." With a flash of red, the room disappeared, being replaced by wide open countryside. The town of Eingehoof could be seen in the distance from the small hill where Nova stood, far removed from its populace.

"You shouldn't have abandoned her." Tempest said, his image refusing to surface.

"I'm sure I'll come to regret leaving that gem behind." Nova said, more to himself than anything.

"Yes, you will." Nova turned, startled to find the azure mare standing mere feet away. "Trixie is a sparkling treasure, and you'd do well to treat her as such!"

"Whoever said I wasn't?" Nova replied cryptically.

"Excuse me?" Trixie said with obvious confusion.

"I left you behind for a reason, and not a selfish one either. I suggest you drop the thick headed shroud you're wearing and take the hint." Nova added an afterthought. "How did you manage to follow me?"

"The _Great_ and _Powerful_ Trixie never reveals"—

"You used the remnants of my magical signature to lock onto my position as you detected the spike in energy as I reentered from my teleportation spell. Let me rephrase that question: Where did you learn such high level magic?"

"Trixie is reluctant to say, lest her glorious image be marred by"—

"Spit it out, woman."

"How rude! Trixie had the misfortune of picking that trick up from her ultimate rival, Twilight Sparkle."

_There's no way…_

"Celestia's _student_ Twilight Sparkle?" Nova asked cautiously.

"Her reputation precedes her then." Trixie said with a huff. "It looks like I'm still caught in her shadow."

The sting of being bested by Twilight himself was still fresh. Nova's only excuses were old age and having been fighting for a while before engaging her. Nova knew better than to downplay her talent however. Twilight, though not necessarily combat savvy, was a more powerful and skilled unicorn than Nova could ever hope to be.

_Trixie however..._

Nova thought for a moment, debating a few options in his head. He didn't know how this mare knew Twilight, though he was certain whatever conflict the two had shared wasn't anything serious. Most likely a competition of some sort. Judging by Trixie's overconfidence and boastful nature, she was most likely hanging onto a superficial grudge of sorts. He might be able to help her out.

"How would you like to change that, Trixie?" Nova asked, turning his gaze towards the mare's lavender eyes.

She looked at him and smiled with fierce and unbridled determination. "I'd like that a lot."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>_


	4. Working Vacation

Chapter 2: Working Vacation

_**September 14**__**th**__**, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign**_

_**(Present Day)**_

"Which scarf do you think looks more adventurous? Emerald, or fuchsia?"

"Ah dunno, which do ya think would look better in the dark?"

"I'm telling you this for the last time Applejack, it is not going to be pitch black the entire time. There will be many instances where I'll be properly bathed in light, so I must without _question_"—

"Look good fer all the bats and _snakes_?"

"There's no talking to you about things like this."

Rarity let out a deep sigh and went back to packing her things. Applejack knew she was pouting and decided to cease her teasing for the moment and throw her a bone.

"Do yah happen to have anythin' in red?" Applejack asked, already knowing the answer. "It makes yer eyes look real pretty."

"Red _is_ the spirit of adventure, isn't it?" Rarity asked rhetorically, simply thinking out loud for her own benefit. "It has certain…je ne se quoi. Oh, you know me so well, Applejack!"

"Aw shucks. It ain't nothin'."

"Quite the contrary my dear." Rarity said with a dreamy smile.

"So, what exactly are ya'll lookin' for anyhow?"

"We're not _looking_ for anything per se, or at least I'm not." Rarity said, rolling her eyes distantly as she continued to stuff clothing and trinkets into her saddlebags. "Daria promised she'd let me know the next time she stumbled upon some location of interest."

"And why exactly is that?"

"Because I threatened her of course. How else is a lady supposed to get ahead in these tough times? If not for a little good-natured persuasion where would we be?" Rarity asked, trying to sound innocent.

"Ah meant why aren't y'all looking fer anythin'."

"Oh." Rarity blushed slightly before continuing. "It's possible to find many treasures in the places we go. Daria is usually in search of something specific, whereas I play the part of an opportunist."

"And y'all do this sorta thing often?" Applejack asked, sounding worried.

"Quite often, though usually on our own. We only go together when it's in our interest to do so, which probably means she needs me for something." Rarity said. "Where do you think I get some of my rarest jewels?"

"Ah didn't think to question it." Applejack said plainly.

"Whatever the case, I shouldn't be gone long. I'm sure you have work to do while I'm away. At the very least you should try to make sure Fluttershy doesn't have her hooves filled with…you know." Rarity said somberly.

"Volt sure is handful these days. Hard to blame him after what happened to Aurora." Applejack said in a disappointed tone. "And Ah wish. The harvest was finished a few days ago, an' Ah reckon the clean-up is nearly through. Ah'm gonna have almost nothin' to do until ya'll wrap up winter again!"

Rarity's eyes lit up and she focused all of her attention on the tan earth pony. "Nothing at all? You mean to tell me you actually have _time_ to spend with me?"

"The only chores left to do aren't anythin' too demandin', so the crusaders offered to take 'em up in pursuit of their talents." Applejack smiled sweetly as she thought of the trio. "Big Mac and Granny Smith are happy to watch 'em rather than do the work themselves, so Ah'm out of a job so to speak."

"Well then… _Applejack_?" Rarity asked, pouring on her charm and focusing her puppy dog eyes on the mare.

Applejack sighed audibly and rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, Rarity?"

"Do you think that since you're very _clearly_ free of any obligations…" Rarity said, pausing for dramatic effect, "…that you would do me the honor of coming with me on my little trip? I'll even throw in a little reward for your trouble!"

"And what might _that_ be?"

Rarity's gaze softened as she leaned in next to Applejack's left ear. She whispered something to the mare and giggled as she pulled away to behold the cowpony's face. Applejack was a bright, flustered red, and she wore a very telling smile. She took off her Stetson hat and began to fan her face with it hurriedly.

"It's mighty hot in here, don'tcha think?"

"You tell me." Rarity said with a seductive look in her eyes.

"Ah was practically raised in a barn and that sounded dirty to me…"

Rarity laughed a bit, satisfied she'd made her case. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yer darn tootin'! Ah just gotta let the family know and get packed." Applejack stated. "Anythin' Ah should know?"

"You'll learn along the way. Just wear the vest Reginald and I made for you and bring whatever you deem necessary for an exploratory trip." Rarity said. "Oh, and Applejack?"

"Rarity."

"Be ready to meet the one pony in Equestria more overconfident than Rainbow Dash."

* * *

><p>"Well, Ah've been ready tah meet her for over an hour now. Where is she?"<p>

"She'll be along shortly. Settle down."

"Fine…"

Rarity and Applejack stood idly by the northern end of the Everfree Forest, clad in their vests and watching over their saddlebags as they stood beside them. The third member of their group had yet to show up, leaving Applejack in an impatient mood.

"She's supposed to be _worse_ than Rainbow Dash?"

"You've asked me that four times, dear."

"But is it really _true_?"

"You can ask her yourself. There she is now." Rarity nodded her head in the opposite direction of Applejack's gaze.

Applejack turned where Rarity was looking and her jaw almost hit the floor. Walking towards them was a _very_ familiar looking pony. A khaki coat, Magenta eyes, and a gray scale striped mane were all ringing more than a few bells. The mare had a small orange rose in her hair and wore saddlebags labeled with a decorative compass face on either side. The bags left room at her sides for her wings, and showed her cutie mark, the same design seen on her bags.

"Ain't she that story book character? Ah though she wasn't real!"

"She isn't the character; she's the _author_ of Daring Do." Rarity explained. "Daria created Daring Do so she could exaggerate her own adventures."

"She looks exactly like the mare on the cover!" Applejack said in surprise.

"Based on a true story, remember?" Rarity said in a sweet tone before walking towards the newcomer. "Daria! How are you darling?"

"It's been far too long, Rarity." The khaki mare said sincerely, wrapping her hoof around the unicorn. Her smooth, homely voice surprised Applejack. "I'm doing great. Now tell me, is this the humble little farm girl you've fallen head over hooves for?"

"Ah'd be the one. Mah name's Applejack, and it's a pleasure tah meet ya!" Applejack lifted her hat to the mare.

"I can see why she fell for you already. Well-mannered, a charming accent… And my _god_ Rarity, her figure?" Daria said, pouring over the mare.

"Daria!"

"What? She's absolutely gorgeous! I've been trekking across the globe for years and still don't have a body like that!"

"Ah appreciate the compliments. Ya seem like a very nice pony."

"Don't sound _too_ surprised. I know Rarity loves telling everypony how insufferable I am." Daria looked over to the white unicorn with a sly smile. "The look on her face tells me that I'm right to think she's prepared you for me."

"In a sense. She never said anythin' bad about you, just that you're real enthusiastic." Applejack said with a genuine smile.

"Well, it looks like this trip is going to be a lot more fun now that you're coming." Daria said with excitement. "C'mon ladies, lets hit the road."

The mare walked straight into the woods without hesitation, breaking the tree line in the most random of spots. Rarity walked towards the same area almost immediately after.

"Don't y'all think we should"—

"Trust me Applejack, this is the best way. Not the easiest, but the best." Rarity cut her off and turned her head slightly as she walked. "We can walk and talk dear; it would be wise to keep up."

No sooner had she finished her sentence did the unicorn disappear into the foliage as well, leaving Applejack to play catch-up. The Stetson-clad pony quickly walked into the brush after the two mares and found that they were already a ways away.

Applejack quickened her pace, stepping over odd looking plants and pushing low hanging branches away from her face. She saw no sign of Daria in the distance, but caught sight of Rarity's back half entering a large shrub.

The southern mare broke into a small run as she came up on the plant, trying to catch up to her companions. She pushed on through it and found Rarity standing there waiting with a smile on her face, and Daria rooting through her bags rather chaotically.

"Get ready." Rarity whispered cheekily.

"Ready fer what?"

"_Deep_ in the wilderness, _surrounded_ by the menagerie of nature's _twisted_ fauna, Daring Do roots through her supplies, desperately searching for her most important possession!"

"No. She's kiddin' right?" Applejack turned to Rarity who stood idly with a smug grin plastered onto her face. "_Right!?_"

"Ahah! The adventure _truly_ begins!" Daria produced a set of safari-like survival gear and began dressing herself with it.

"Clearly I do nothing but exaggerate." Rarity said, rolling her eyes slyly.

"What does she do? Pretend to be the character from her book?" Applejack asked quietly, trying not to stare at the mare in disbelief.

"You misunderstand, there isn't _really _a character. It's her, and only her. She's _beyond_ theatrical, and writing about her own adventures is how she validates her own worth."

"You mean it's how I let the world know about the everyday struggles of a brave adventurer." Daria corrected the unicorn. "It's a service to those too ordinary to be extraordinary."

"And that's why she doesn't write about her companions in a very flattering way." Rarity said with evident disappointment. "Sharing the spotlight would be too much to ask of such a mare."

"Wait, are we"—

"A part of my next _best-selling_ novel? Yes, yes you are!" Daria said, raising her hooves into the air theatrically. "_Daring Do and the Journey to Fire-gate!"_

"What…" Applejack was visibly perturbed. "We're goin' where now?"

"Firegate! The last known gathering place of the Cult of Revelation!"

"The Cult of _what_?"

"Don't worry about it Applejack. These wild goose chases tend to favor a dull resolution. While the dangers are certainly real, the actual events in her stories are distorted more than a smidgen." Rarity said, shooting a look towards the khaki mare.

"I choose to remain silent in favor of avoiding self-incrimination, thank you very much." Daria said, stowing her orange rose in her saddlebags. Now fully dressed in her gear, she looked the part of the adventurer of her creation. "And this time I did my research. There wasn't much to go on, but there are _real_ records of an organization that went by the name _Cultui de Apocalypsis_. The translation today equates to the Cult of Revelation."

"But Firegate?" Rarity asked doubtfully.

"_Ignis Portum._" The mare said decidedly. "Rarity, I only called you because I'm sure. You told me not to unless it was something really amazing. I'm telling you…this is bigger than Saddle Arabia."

Rarity's eyes lit up in amazement mixed with disbelief. "Daria...you can't be serious."

"I am. It's a good thing you brought your marefriend here. We're gonna need help on this one."

"What have Ah gotten myself into here exactly?" Applejack asked, looking in between the two mares.

"Danger. Terror. Precarious positions and near death experiences," Daria said calmly, looking at Applejack with wonder, "And quite possibly, the most important historical expedition of this century."

"Ah can't exactly disagree. That sounds mighty interestin'."

"Then it's settled! Into nature we go!"

"We're already _in_ nature, dear." Rarity supplied with a smile.

"_FURTHER _into nature we go!" Daria yelled enthusiastically, not missing a beat.

"Celestia help me..." Applejack said to herself, following the pegasus into the underbrush.

* * *

><p>"I can't do this anymore! You keep leaving, and you don't come back for days at a time!" Fluttershy said, her voice becoming audible.<p>

"I told you what I'm doing! Why don't you just let me work!?"

"Because that's all you do anymore! Ever since Aurora... You don't even talk to me anymore!" The mare shot back.

"I'm sorry, but this is important. I can't just sit here while her killer is running around out there."

"Then don't! Spend some time with me! Talk to your _friends_!"

"I can't do that, Fluttershy."

"Then I can't do..." Fluttershy let out a deep sigh. "I can't do this."

"What does that mean?"

"No, Rainbow Dash. I literally can't do this..." The mare sighed, looking up at her polychromatic friend sadly.

"Oh... Sorry." Rainbow Dash said, dropping the act. "If it makes you feel any better, you're getting a lot more forceful with your comebacks."

"I guess... I just don't know what I'm going to do when I see him again..." Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, scraping at the floor.

The dark tiles of the floor succeeded in bringing the mares mood down as always. The laboratory underneath Luna's guards chambers was truly a depressing place to be for the cream colored pony. Though her choice in activities weren't helping. Ever since Thundervolt began his self-imposed mission, he'd become increasingly distant and unavailable.

Maybe it wasn't the rooms fault she felt sad, but it wasn't exactly helping her either. She couldn't imagine ever feeling happy down there. The place was just brimming with unpleasant memories and the odd sensation that you were being watched.

"Fluttershy?"

"Oh-what?" She replied, stumbling on her words.

"I asked if you were alright." Rainbow Dash said. "You just need to talk to him, get him to see your side of things."

"I suppose..."

"If you want, I'll even herd him towards you. Celestia knows he's hard to get a hold of when he _does_ show up." The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes with disdain at the thought.

"T-Thank you..."

"What are friends for, Flutters? Come on, lets go see what the others are up to."

"Ok. I wonder if Twilight and Reggie have made any progress?" Fluttershy said, perking up as she fell into step behind her friend.

"Progress with what? Every time I walk past him he's messing with something different." Rainbow Dash said idly, keeping a relatively quick pace.

"I think he just like's to work on a few projects at time..."

"Well if you ask me, dividing your attention like that can't be good for efficiency."

"Well I guess you've seen Twilight today." Fluttershy remarked, smiling when she saw her friend blush slightly.

"Shut up." The pegasus mare chuckled. "Every minute I spend with her I learn another new word and then suddenly I have the vocabulary of an egghead."

"We've all been there."

The two mares laughed with each other, both of them happy to shift their focus from the depressing subject matter. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both heard voices coming from a room at the end of the labs left side and shifted their direction accordingly. As they got closer, the voices sounded more and more distinct, until they finally entered a small workshop that housed the three ponies they were looking for.

Vinyl Scratch was arguing with Reggie, as usual. Sometimes it was hard to tell they were together, because you'd never hear them say anything nice to each other. Octavia, Vinyl's long time friend, was standing in the corner of the room, watching the two with an amused stare. It seemed like she'd grown to enjoy the two yelling at each other.

"Vinyl, I asked you for the pneumatic drill. This is the pneumatic screwdriver." The khaki unicorn stallion said, shooting his magenta gaze at his goggle-clad companion.

"Well sue me for not being an engineer! If you need me to differentiate between a bar chord and syncopation then you know where to find me." She said, turning towards the newcomers. "It's about time you two showed up. I heard you guys yelling a mile away."

Fluttershy's face turned red, and Rainbow Dash replied cooly. "That was nothing, just some rehearsal."

"I hear that, sister." Vinyl Scratch replied knowingly.

"Have either of you two heard from Twilight today?" Octavia asked.

"She's fine. Said she was going to try and talk to the princess about something." Rainbow Dash replied.

"Sounds about right." Reggie said, staring incredulously at a piece of machinery lying on the table beside him. "I hope she remembers to request an audience with Princess Luna for me."

"You're trying to get an audience with the Princess?" Vinyl asked, turning towards the khaki stallion. "What for?"

"I just want to run some things by her."

"What things?" Octavia asked, the rest of the room now curious as well.

"Things that I feel need to be addressed by the leadership. Come on guys, I'm underneath their castle. The least I can do is ask before I blow anything up."

Vinyl Scratch went to reply, but closed her mouth and awaited for somepony else to ask her question.

"B-Blow up?" Fluttershy managed to choke out before she locked up.

"What are you doing that involves explosions?" Octavia asked nervously.

"Nothing." Vinyl Scratch shot Reggie a look. "Nothing _deliberate_."

"Lets just make sure we don't have to survive another explosion, alright?" Vinyl Scratch said in an oddly grim tone.

Everyone in the room knew what she was thinking of. They'd heard the story, and some had been there. A large block of explosives was made to go off in Reggie's old lab, a large skyscraper in the center of Manehattan. The explosion took out multiple floors, almost killing Vinyl Scratch, Reggie, and of all ponies, Pinkie Pie.

There was nopony left in the building at the time, so they were the only victims, but it was still a tumultuous time for the city. The incident was very obviously not an accident, and the resulting investigation culminated in the arrest of the C.E.O of Doodle Corp., Vivian Quartz. As the majority shareholder of the company, Reggie Doodle had to take control of the aftermath. He managed it, but ultimately decided to pursue other, more interesting research.

"Agreed. It's about time I got back to work on the main project anyway," Reggie said, "We wouldn't want Twilight to have an aneurism, now would we?"

"Watch it Reggie, you wouldn't want me to have to kick your flank, would you?" Rainbow Dash replied, perhaps a little too darkly.

"Sorry. Please don't hurt me..." Reggie said, thinking about how badly the cyan mare could probably beat him.

"Yea, please don't. I need him in peak condition for sexytimes." Vinyl Scratch said, diffusing the mood. "And Reggie, she's buff as hell. If you piss her off I'm not even gonna _try_ to stop her."

"This is so much better than any soap opera." Octavia said quietly to Fluttershy, almost startling the mare as she stepped alongside her. "Though I wish they'd stop arguing once in a while."

"Yes. That would be nice." Fluttershy replied idly.

"Still not quite yourself?" Octavia observed, turning her gaze to the pegasus, "Would you like to talk about it?"

"If by 'it', you mean 'him', then no. Why would I want to talk about someone who doesn't even stop by to give me the time of day?"

Fluttershy surprised herself with her words, blushing slightly as the mare beside her chuckled in understanding. She looked at her friends, and took in a deep breath as her head sank towards the floor. Everypony else acted like nothing was wrong, as if the world wasn't falling apart around them. As the heartbroken pegasus let out a sigh, she thought that they didn't act like that because she was the only one who felt that desperate.

Octavia wore a look of surprise which she promptly wiped from her face as she responded."I suppose that's a fair question. I'm willing to bet that you have a good enough reason."

"Y-You are?"

"I may not know the details, but I can see you're eager to put this conflict to rest. Regardless of the outcome." The cellist said with a slight melancholy.

"I just want to _talk_ to him..."

"I'd like to see him as well... He promised to fill me in about"-

"Aurora?" Fluttershy put the word in her mouth. A warm look of recognition passed through Octavia as she let slip a small smile.

"Yes. Aurora."

"Well if he'd ever come back for more than a few minutes, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out." Octavia was surprised at how sarcastic the sweet-voiced mare could be.

"Fluttershy?" Fluttershy and Octavia both turned their heads towards the open lab door.

Fluttershy recognized the voice after a moment and spoke with a confused tone. "Twilight? Twilight, where are you?"

The lavender mare poked her head through the door a few seconds later, answering Fluttershy's question without a word. Twilight Sparkle surveyed the room and found the usual suspects arguing in the corner with Rainbow Dash, along with two very confused looking mares burning a hole in her head.

"I've been looking for you, Fluttershy." The unicorn perked up as she spoke. "I've got some good news!"

"What is it?"

"He's finally back." Rainbow Dash froze and turned towards her marefriend with concern. Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a mix of features fighting for room on her face. "You've been waiting to talk to him."

"It's gonna be alright, Shy." Rainbow Dash spoke with conviction. "You can do this."

Fluttershy inhaled deeply, letting out a pained sigh.

_Thundervolt..._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Everypony is about to be accounted for, but will all of them be where they belong? Let me know what you thought, and keep on reading! You guys are great.<em>**


	5. Encounter

Chapter 3: Encounter

_**May 6**__**th**__**, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign**_

_**(4 months ago)**_

As Trixie walked along the banks of the Hornrim River, she couldn't help but note the comfortable temperature and pleasing sounds of the surrounding area. At first, the Unicorn Mountain range sounded like a very poorly named set of rocks that would be just as uncomfortable and biting as those of the Crystal Mountains. She was pleasantly surprised when Nova brought her here.

That stallion was many things, but if nothing else, he could serve as a magnificent travel guide. He had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of geography, both of Equestria and its neighboring countries. The third location that he'd brought her to in the span of just a month was equally as wonderful as their time in the Smokey Mountains and Galloping Gorge prior. The commonality between these settings was the lack of contact with other ponies. Trixie didn't mind the privacy, which was odd considering her compulsive need to show off and boast. It seemed Nova was audience enough.

The past month had been rigorous to say the least. Taxing, stressful, difficult, _punishing_ even. The return however was marvelous, rewarding, and downright amazing. Not to mention the bonuses Trixie couldn't have imagined.

Nova was gone for the time being. With the absolute majority of Trixie's training regimen completed, she was more than capable of being on her own while the stallion went about his business. Starting up a project took materials, and being penniless didn't exactly make for an easy acquisition of supplies. She didn't question him, or his insistence that she stay behind. She decided that some time away from the stallion could do her some good.

_Even though Trixie is disgustingly bored…_

The unicorn levitated a small rock off the shoreline and held it in front of her. The rock began to glow red hot as the mare intensified her magic. She levitated some water from the flowing stream beside her and brought a small amount towards the superheated rock, running the two into one another. A large amount of steam shot out from the rock which Trixie restrained, shaping it arbitrarily as she cast the rock back into the river. By the time she had finished, the quickly disappearing steam had been formed into the shape of a familiar magician's hat which used to adorn the mares head for less than a second before completely vaporizing.

"Super-heating, advanced levitation and binding… Easy." Trixie said proudly to herself, acting as her own audience.

With her minute-long distraction completed, Trixie was back to walking along the river bank with nothing to do. That is until she caught sight of something pink in the distance. Nature, generally straying from such a vibrant display in these parts, was not supposed to be pink. Trixie had found her newest activity.

Without a moments hesitation, Trixie made her way towards the object in the hopes that it wasn't something boring, like some stupid flower that had the nerve to defy the color palette of its environment. As she drew nearer, the object looked decidedly _less_ like a flower and much _more_ like a pony drowned in the water. The azure unicorn finally stepped beside the object, confirming that it was in fact a drowned pony anchored to the shore by a lone branch.

A sickly feeling worked its way up her abdomen and Trixie had to stifle her vomit. She reluctantly moved closer and studied the mare, looking for signs of life. Her tattered, forest-green mane was adorned with blue stripes and stains of blood the water hadn't yet removed, and her body had definitely been through a lot judging by the numerous scrapes and bruises. Her leaf-like cutie mark seemed to move, which was disconcerting to say the least.

Trixie gently levitated the mare from the water and placed her on soft grass in order to look her over. She placed a hoof under her neck and was shocked to find the remnants of a pulse. At about thirty beats per minute, the mare was going quickly. The azure unicorn acted fast and fell in step with her recent training.

She flipped the petite earth pony onto her back and began pumping her hooves into her chest. Every few sets, Trixie would bring her lips to the mare's and exhale into her lungs. She wasn't receiving much of a response for a few minutes, but the strange mare's heartbeat never faltered. It just seemed to idle at thirty beats a minute.

"Why the hell aren't you dead?" Trixie pondered aloud, reaching for the mare's eyelids. She pried one of them open and examined them closely.

Her pupils weren't cooperative as the mare was still unconscious. Trixie could tell her eyes were beautiful neon green, however what disturbed her wasn't the color, or the popped blood vessels in the left one. It was the vibrant ring of yellow dancing around her pupil, looking like a sort of magical aura swimming in her irises. The ring slowly began to fade, increasing the azure unicorn's curiosity.

"Trixie thinks this mare needs help," The azure unicorn said as she levitated the pony off the ground, cradling her in a healing spell as she walked. "Nova won't mind as long as I keep out of trouble."

Trixie walked back in the direction from which she came, trekking a few miles following the rivers flow. They had made their camp in a small cave a few miles east. Hardly one for vanity, Nova insisted it would do. The azure unicorn put up a fight, as she had each and every time they had settled before. For some reason, she just couldn't get him to go for something more comfortable.

It didn't really matter that much though. She just liked being near him.

It wasn't long before the mare and her less than able compatriot reached the smallest indent in the side of the mountain range. Without batting an eye, Trixie sauntered into the opening, the natural darkness of the cave swallowing her form, save for the glow of her horn.

She walked idly for a few minutes, mostly heading straight forward and down a few degrees. Trixie let her thoughts wander as she let the sounds of her hoofsteps fill the cave with a cacophony of muted sound. She felt a bit dazed as she walked, still unaccustomed to the eerie entrance. A sharp right turn broke the monotony, and the azure unicorn fell into the pattern she had quickly memorized.

_Left, right, right, middle, left, right._

Navigating each turn and twist of the winding tunnel with ease, Trixie finally reached the rather large room Nova had settled on as home. She focused her magic on her surroundings, and on cue the room was bathed in the dim glow of tens of candles that looked like they had been scavenged from all around Equestria.

Trixie set down the mare she was cradling, placing her unconscious body on the small bed of hay and sheets the unicorn begrudgingly called a mattress. She sat there and stared at the mare for a short while, trying to figure out what to do next. The pink pony was a very intriguing case for Trixie. Medical magic was all but useless, as there was nothing left for her to heal after casting her spells on the walk back. She lay there limp, in a state that the azure unicorn had no control over.

She could only assume this poor mare was in a coma, judging by her lack of physical response to any stimuli she could offer up. Something about her condition struck Trixie as odd, so much so that she couldn't tear her eyes away. Then something occurred to her.

The azure unicorn lit up her horn and focused intently on the pink pony, closing her eyes as she charged a spell. The unconscious pony's body began to take on the same glow as Trixie's magic, satisfying the unicorn as she opened her eyes to confirm her success.

_Let us see if Trixie can read this mare's unconscious thoughts._

Trixie concentrated hard, trying to conjure up a single image with no luck. She thought it odd that she couldn't even graze the surface of the mares thoughts. More than likely, she was so deep in sleep her mind was simply resting. That was when Trixie felt a small tug. She poured all her efforts into a tug of her own, trying desperately to make the connection she craved, to no avail.

_Work dammit, work._

One final surge of Trixies magic brought her into the mares thoughts, and a bit of focus began to give her some clarity. It wasn't long before she began to see and hear everything the pink pony was experiencing. Unfortunately for the mage, she could also _feel_ everything.

Doubled over in pain, Trixie lost her focus and fell out of the spell. Her skin was crawling, and coated in sweat. Her head possessed a sharp, stabbing pain that made her vision swim. Her entire body was trembling.

She looked at the unconscious pony with a new air of fear, and an even bigger wave of curiosity. If her eyes were glued to the mare before, they were now welded to her frame.

"This one is for Nova to figure out..." Trixie whispered to herself, almost out of breath.

* * *

><p>As he walked out of the bar and onto the chilly streets of Vanhoover, Nova couldn't help but let his mind wander in a very linear direction. His day started out rather simply, attempting to search for some kind of permanent residence that would go unnoticed by the monarchy for a time. When he had heard the news however, his priorities immediately began to shift.<p>

The Elements of Harmony had been attacked. That was all he had to go on. It was all he needed to know to have a rough idea of what was happening. After all, he'd been prepared for Nightmare Moon long before her return, going as far as to have a sanctuary far away from her influence. The force that launched the attack was almost certainly one long rumored to be a myth, if it even still hung on the tongues of mortals.

"The Cult of Revelation may be active again..." He said to himself, walking down the city block without a particular goal in mind. He realized stupidly that looking for real estate was pointless as he thought once more back to that little makeshift bomb shelter he never used.

The dark grey stallion ceased moving as a chilled summer breeze passed through his coat, calming him slightly. He took a deep breath and begrudgingly started changing his demeanor. If he was being honest with himself, he knew that any kind of revenge, or continuation of his plan to usurp the throne would be met with swift failure. It wasn't pessimism, it was a newfound understanding that he had been blind his entire life.

The monarchy wasn't doing a poor job at all.

His real motivation had come from knowing crime still existed, and that needless evil lurked in every corner of the nation. Granted, he wasn't an amazing addition himself, but the ends justify the means. At least that's what he told himself. He let out a deep sigh. All he wanted at this point was to fade off into obscurity and do what he enjoyed. Research some new spells, maybe put out a book or two.

_Anonymously, now..._

Teaching Trixie what he knew had renewed a sense of accomplishment in him he had forgotten about. Seeing a mare with such potential act on it, and become so skilled was truly wonderful to behold. After all, he'd done it before. Now though... Now he had to find out if his suspicions were correct. He felt ridiculous, letting himself be drawn into something so farfetched, but the ramifications of being right were much too serious for him to stand idle.

With his mind made up, he charted out a new destination and went about his business. Stopping in only a few locations to pick up the essential supplies, he quickly geared up for the trip he and his ward would soon have to make. He didn't like unnecessary errands, but it wasn't an option as far as he could reason. If nothing else, it would keep Trixie entertained for a short while. That mare had a habit of becoming bored fast.

With the few supplies he had gathered, Nova quickly made his way out of Vanhoover, with a few hours walk before coming in range of their hideout via long range teleport. Trixie would have to entertain herself for a bit longer without him. The prospect worried him, and for some reason, he couldn't shake off the bad feeling now resting in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

><p>A few hours had passed since Trixie's initial journey into the strange mare's psyche, and her head was still throbbing from the connection she made. She didn't want to think about it, but she knew the mare had recently been through a tragic amount of pain. Trixie thought to herself about what she'd do if when the mare woke up she was crazed from the experience.<p>

She looked over to the small lump on the mattress across the room, happy she'd covered her with one of her blankets. The pink pony was in enough pain that she didn't need to freeze on top of it all. Trixie was stirred from her train of thought as she felt a ripple in the air. She wouldn't have noticed it a few months ago, but now it was as clear as somepony calling her name.

Seconds later, a bright red flash stunned her eyes, giving them somepony to look at once she'd recovered.

"Nova!" Trixie jumped up, happy to see the stallion.

"It appears you were more bored than I'd thought." He replied, a small smile working its way onto his lips.

"I managed to keep myself busy for a short while." The mare said, turning her gaze to look at the unconscious pony behind him.

"Is there a pony under there?" Nova said in a hushed voice, stepping back from the new sight. "What did I tell you about strange ponies?"

"Not to take candy from them, right mother?" Trixie said, her tongue snarking painfully far away from her cheek.

"Trixie. You could have picked up literally anyone. Why is this one asleep?"

"I found her washed up in the river, the poor thing looked dead when I found her and brought her here," Trixie started, "Funny thing was that she didn't seem to have a scratch on her."

Nova suddenly grew very quiet, and as the azure unicorn tried to figure out what was wrong, she heard the rustling of fabric and turned to see the unconscious mare pushing the covers off her body. Her forest green mane flopped limply onto her back as she sat up, her face to the opposite wall.

"Trixie, get behind me." Nova barked under his breath.

"What? Why?" The pink pony's ears perked up at the sound of other ponies, her head turning just a moment later.

Nova could have fallen to the floor as her bright, neon green eyes clashed with his dark red pupils. Her gaze looked confused for a moment, but in all of a moment a wave of fiery anger washed over her as she placed his face. Her pupils became enveloped by two bright yellow rings as she spoke.

"You're still alive..." With a frightening burst of speed, the pony rushed forward towards the dark grey unicorn, pinning him to wall of the cave behind him.

"Nova!" Trixie yelled, crying out in frustration as she tried and failed to run towards him. She noticed his horn glowing, and realized her hooves were the engulfed in the same shade of red.

"Aurora, what happened to you?" Nova asked, fixated on the mares forelimbs, which had now become bright, almost like a set of crystals.

"Shut up! Shut up we killed you dammit, we killed you!" Tears streamed down the mares face, her eyes still filled with fury.

"I suppose it would have looked that way."

"I'll finish it then!" Aurora pulled her right hoof back and struck Nova's face. He recoiled in obvious pain, droplets of blood and saliva landing on the floor beside him.

"Stop! You're hurting him!" Trixie yelled, struggling to free her limbs with her own magic. "Nova, let me go!"

Another punch to the face and Nova's vision was swimming. He choked out a reply as another hoof connected with his jaw. "Aurora, s-stop! We have bigger...problems."

"Shut up!" The petite pink pony swung another crystal coated hoof and sent Nova crashing to the floor in agony. "I'm going to kill you!"

"D-Don't hurt her. She has nothing to do with me." Nova said, straining his voice. "Just let her go, she'll try to fight you."

Aurora looked stunned for a moment, finally acknowledging the other pony in the cave. She stared at the azure unicorn, doing well to notice the considerable level of anger and pain she displayed. The unicorn truly felt sadness at seeing Nova on the ground.

"I'm not going to hurt her. I'm doing her a favor."

"Murderer!"

Aurora was shocked. The unicorn was crying hysterically now, watching helplessly as she beat Nova within an inch of his life. She couldn't believe somepony would actually take him for what he was and still try to defend him.

"You'd walk over here and help me if you knew who this stallion really was." Aurora excused, taking a few more steps towards the fallen unicorn.

"He told me everything! He told me everything..." Trixie offered up desperately.

"And what, you just don't care that he's a monster!?"

"Take a look at yourself. You're the monster!" The unicorns horn glowed a bright blue, spawning a medium sized mirror in between her and the earth pony.

Aurora was taken aback by her reflection. Her eyes were glowing yellow, and filled with bloodlust, and her arms sparkled with the shine of gemstones, filling her with a sense of confusion, and at the same time, fear.

"What's... happening to me..."

"You've finally awakened your potential." Nova replied, standing himself up and releasing the spell he had placed on Trixie's hooves. The mare quickly rushed over to his side and tried to nurse his woulds.

"What are you talking about?"

"After all this time, your power has finally awoken." Nova stated simply, airing his concerns. "Your eyes are like his now."

"When Thundervolt finds out you survived"-

"He'll find and kill me. Unless you finish me off, as you so eloquently put it." Nova supplied, his normal air of superiority returning. "You might want to hold off on that until you talk to Trixie."

Aurora looked over at the unicorn standing beside her former captor, this time with a wary eye. "What could she possibly tell me?"

"We met shortly after our last encounter, in an old tavern I used to frequent during my days in the Navy."

"He's been teaching me to utilize my magic since then. His intentions are good!" Trixie spoke up.

"His intentions were never the problem. It's his actions." Aurora said with resolve. She took a few steps forward, prompting Trixie to stand in front of Nova. "If you really know what he did, then you should know what needs to be done. Get out of the way."

"No." Tears were welling up in Trixie's eyes. "I won't let you hurt him."

"She'll go right through you, Trixie. Let me"-

"I'm not going to let her hurt you!"

"She isn't going to hurt me." Nova said, smiling at the doubtful look Aurora now displayed. "Not if what I think is true."

"What game are you playing?" Aurora asked, wary of the dark coated stallion in front of her.

Nova stood up and looked the mare dead in the eyes, watching as the bright yellow aura faded and her forehooves returned to normal. "The river Trixie found you in runs all the way up to the Canterlot Bridge. Were you on the train the night of the attack? The one against the Elements of Harmony?"

Aurora froze. "Attack!? I-I was..."

"Did you notice anything strange? Anypony suspicious?" Nova asked.

"Are they okay...my friends?" Bright green eyes rose to meet him. "Was anypony hurt?"

"Details haven't been released to the public, but it was confirmed by the princesses that the elements all survived the crash."

"Crash..."

"Aurora... Did you see anyone with eyes like"-

"A snake."

Nova's eyes widened as his fears were confirmed. "A snake, are you sure?"

"I'll never forget those eyes as long as I live..." Aurora met his blood red eyes with conviction. "Tell me everything you know."

"I'd be thrilled to do so." Nova said, letting out a breath Aurora didn't notice he was holding in. "I'll tell you everything before we leave tomorrow."

"Leave? Where are we going?" Trixie asked, the new information distracting her from the tense situation. Nova's face scrunched up, as if dreading his next words.

"To the last known gathering place of the Cult of Revelation. We're going to Firegate."

* * *

><p><em><strong>I'm back, not dead. Hope you didn't give up on me, or if you did that you're pleasantly surprised and decided to keep reading. Chapters should be coming more regularly from now on. Hope you enjoyed!<strong>_


	6. Questions

Chapter 4: Questions

_**August 20**__**th**__**, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign**_

_**(Present Day)**_

The sun was hanging low in the sky, casting a bright orange glow across the mountainous city of Canterlot. Princess Celestia looked out upon the city from her balcony high up in the castle's tallest tower, marveling at the peaceful scene before her. It would only be a short while before her sister began raising the moon, and she could retire for the night for some well deserved rest.

With Twilight approaching, Celestia gave into one of her most recent habits and thought about her student, the aptly named Twilight Sparkle. She always found it funny that her student bridged the gap between her bright day and Luna's stark night. All she needed was for her sister to start tutoring a student named Dawn, or Daybreak and the entire cycle would be complete and she could move on with her life.

"The day that happens is the day I hang up the crown." She said to herself, wearing an amused smile.

Celestia's gaze never faltered as her eyes panned across the wide expanse of her city. It was during that time that she noticed three ponies walking towards the front gate of the castle. Even from her current height, she could still tell who the visitors were. As they approached the main gate, she saw the subject of her musings walking towards them.

Twilight walked up to the three ponies, presumably to greet them. Her head turned and looked up towards the balcony she stood upon, and the visitors followed suit. After a moment, Twilight teleported out of sight and the visitors continued on their path to the castle.

"I supposed I shouldn't make them come all the way up here." Celestia said to herself, before her horn began to glow. She activated her own teleportation spell and found herself in the throne room just a moment later.

She didn't have to wait long until a trio of stallions entered the throne room, spearheaded by a white pegasus stallion with a blue and yellow mane, and a storm cloud cutie mark. Standing by his side were two other stallions, one a bright green unicorn, and the other a metallic grey earth pony. Thundervolt, Keyes, and Silver. Three very capable stallions when it came to investigation as Celestia had recently learned.

Thundervolt was one of the victims of Nova's influence, where he was given the interesting ability to charge his wings with electricity, boosting his flight speed and giving him a formidable weapon in a fight. She'd been watching him closely ever since she'd learned of his presence.

Keyes Limestone, a sergeant of the Manehattan Police Department, was currently on leave, pursuing an investigation of his own with the help of his makeshift partner, Silver. Keyes was the detective that helped unravel the fiasco with Doodle Corp., and put a stop to police corruption in the city with the arrest of his former commanding officer. A commendable stallion in every right as far as she was concerned.

Silver was another case to keep an eye on, being the former leader of a sort of mercenary group in Manehattan. According to Keyes he was trustworthy, but Celestia wasn't about to take that chance without some time, but that was to be expected of a leader of the nation.

With all that had been happening as of late, from the internal incident of Nova's, to the recent attack on the Elements of Harmony, the Princess wasn't in a place to turn down the help of ponies with the skills to make a difference. Especially not ponies that her student and friends seemed to trust so implicitly. That didn't stop her from being wary of what she shared with them. Regardless, seeing them all bow in her presence prompted her to speak.

"You can all drop the formalities. I can tell you from experience that it gets old very fast."

"As you wish, Princess." Silver spoke, his refined voice clashing with his hardened appearance. Amber eyes and a brown duster made for a very rustic look that Celestia couldn't help but study.

"I trust you've returned for a reason, Thundervolt?"

The white pegasus stepped forward slightly, focusing his golden eyes on the princess. "Yes. We've managed to collect more information in regards to the note Sergeant Limestone brought to our attention."

Celestia prompted him to continue. "We sifted through everything we could get our hooves on in the Canterlot Postal building, and found the exact address from which it was sent."

"Where exactly did it originate?"

"It came from the Research and Development wing of this castle, your highness." Keyes spoke up, nodding to Thundervolt.

"That, along with the signature "N" on the note leave us no other likely theories. Nova wrote that note to Vivian, trying to convince her to escape and meet him." Thundervolt continued.

"That leaves two possible scenarios." Silver said, prompting Keyes to present his idea.

"This Nova could have easily left this note for her a long while ago after hearing of her incarceration. Letting it sit for a while would draw less attention than an urgent letter addressed to a high profile criminal." Keyes said, his words carrying with them an impressive amount of professionalism.

"And the other option?" Celestia asked, fearing she already had the answer.

"Nova didn't really die that night." Thundervolt said, confirming her fear. "A body was never found, which has been bothering me considerably."

"Yes, I feared that this was a possibility." Celestia closed her eyes and pondered for a moment how to proceed. She opened her eyes and saw the three stallions before her waiting on her decree. "What of the strange mare everypony described. Have you found any leads?"

"None whatsoever. Whoever they were, they didn't leave a trace." Keyes replied.

"Very well. It is imperative that we determine the whereabouts of Nova before his connection with Vivian Quartz proves to become something more troublesome." Celestia stated. "I will have the guard put out an all points bulletin on Nova, and direct some of Luna's night guards your way to use how you will."

"Thank you Princess. We'll find him." Thundervolt stated, his words steady and unfaltering.

"I don't doubt you will." Celestia replied, reigning in her concerns. "Take some time to rest before heading out again, I'm sure your friends will appreciate it."

All three stallions nodded curtly before watching as the princess took her leave. It didn't take long for them to follow suit, heading towards the wing of the castle that had now become infamous in their group. Whenever anypony was in the castle, they seemed to be in there as of late. There weren't many places that could depress a large group of ponies so immediately, but they were proud to have one of their very own.

"If they would just install a few more lights, or repaint..." Silver thought out loud, bringing a grin to Keyes' face.

"It's not likely to change. The Princess of the Night favors a certain décor in her wing of the castle." Keyes glanced over at Silver. "Wouldn't you expect it to be dark?"

"I was actually hoping for a nice set of blues, maybe some accenting shades of white and yellow."

"I swear, you're both literally flaming." Thundervolt remarked with a sly smile, earning a set of unamused glares from his companions. "Speaking of which, have you told Reggie yet?"

"Told him what?" Keyes asked, knowing full well what he was talking about.

"That you're playing for the other team. And I don't mean the police force, or a different company." Thundervolt looked at the lime green unicorn seriously. "He's your best friend, you should really tell him you two are a thing."

"A thing. I prefer the word item, if we're trivializing it to the status of an object." Silver said with a mock distaste. "I agree with Thundervolt. I'd like to not have to hide this anymore."

"I'll tell him soon. I just have to set it up right, or he'll get awkward and make it difficult." Keyes replied, turning to Thundervolt for confirmation. "I'm going to do it alone as well, just so he doesn't feel overwhelmed."

"Ten bits he thinks you're into him." The white pegasus replied, Silver laughing alongside him.

"Celestia help me..."

By the time the three had finished their banter, they had reached the barracks for the night guard. The first time they had been shown this room, Keyes and Silver were both confused as to how this room could possibly hide such a large facility. It wasn't until they had descended the spiral stairs into the large space that they could understand how gigantic the mountain truly was.

They walked the same path now, entering the laboratory and looking for their friends who would no doubt have heard of their presence from a certain teleporting unicorn. As if on cue, a large group of ponies wandered onto the floor from the work rooms on the left side of the main floor.

Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were first, speaking to each other about something and snickering to themselves. Reggie and Twilight were right behind them, Twilight speaking to the unicorn excitedly, most likely about one of their projects. Fluttershy lagged behind the crowd, looking up at Rainbow Dash who was floating by without a care in the world.

Twilight, despite looking occupied, was the first to notice the newcomers, beckoning them over with her hoof and drawing attention to them. They were met with numerous greetings once they had made their way over. Being away tended to make ponies miss each others company, especially when it came to a certain khaki unicorn.

"Keyes! Volt! You're back!" Reggie yelled, running up and embracing them in a three stallion hug. "You're going to flip out when I show you what I made!"

"Something tells me I don't want to know." Keyes replied dryly, freeing himself of the unicorn and taking a step towards the rest of the group.

"I can't wait to see it. Whatever it is, buddy." Thundervolt said, turning his attention to the crème colored pegasus looking his way. He unconsciously walked straight towards her, only to be stopped by a cyan wall.

"Hey there, Volt! Feels like we haven't seen you in ages, lets talk!" The polychromatic pegasus said, dragging the stallion behind her as she promptly exited the room. Fluttershy wordlessly nodded a greeting to the other newcomers and followed the two other pegasi out of the room.

"I wonder what that could be about?" Vinyl Scratch said sarcastically.

"Speaking of talking, Reggie, could I grab you for a minute?" Keyes asked, his face already betraying his intentions.

"Of course you can grab him!" Vinyl Scratch said knowingly, putting a serious look on Keyes' face, "He loves it when other stallions grab him!"

"That's completely true," Reggie deadpanned, "I'm all yours."

The two walked away as the Khaki stallions choice of words left Vinyl Scratch with the inability to regulate her own breathing. Silver, Octavia, and Twilight opted to ignore her and start their own conversation.

"Did you find anything?" Octavia asked, her eyes shifting towards Silver.

"We only managed to confirm our suspicions I'm afraid."

"So then it's true... He might still be out there." Twilight replied, the worry in her voice growing. "Is Thundervolt"-

"More obsessive than ever?" Silver offered up, "The only thing he's going to be thinking of beside this development is...well..."

"Aurora." Octavia stated sadly. "We never found her."

"We still have some of the Royal Guard searching the surrounding areas," Twilight said weakly, her tone betraying her lack of optimism, "She'll turn up."

"Unless, like the unicorn, there isn't a body to find." Silver said.

His words barely left his lips before the metallic grey stallion found himself being forced up against a workbench. The clatter of pens and the shuffling of paper filled the room with a tumultuous echo that caught Twilight off guard. Octavia, however, was too busily glaring daggers into Silver to notice. Her hooves wrapped around his duster and gave her leverage to keep him pinned, despite his clear efforts to move away.

"That isn't true!" Octavia snapped, her muzzle pressing against Silver's as she spoke. "She's dead."

"Calm down!" Twilight's horn glowed, and Octavia was pulled off her victim. "What's gotten into you?"

"Aurora is dead." Octavia said, opting to ignore the question. "If she was alive, she would have fought tooth and nail to get back to us."

"I think Silver has a point, Octavia... She could be seriously hurt, or trapped! Giving up isn't going to help us find her." Twilight raised a hoof to try and comfort the mare, only to have it pushed away.

"Twilight, please just-" The mare sighed, not really sure what to say. "I'll be...not here."

Octavia uneasily turned and left the lab's main floor, heading the same way Fluttershy had been just minutes before.

"She'll be alright you know." Vinyl Scratch said, patting Twilight on the shoulder. "It isn't easy for her."

"Huh?"

"The whole 'I'm so frustrated, I'm gonna take you to the floor' thing? She doesn't know how to deal with abandonment." The mare adjusted her goggles and let her ruby eyes meet Twilight's. "And whether she's dead or alive, Aurora isn't here. I think that's been the problem since day one."

"But she isn't alone." Twilight said sadly. "She can talk to any of us, and you're her best friend!"

"Yea, you're right." Vinyl slipped her goggles back over her eyes. "She just has to figure that out for herself."

* * *

><p>"Fluttershy, I get that we have to have a talk..." Thundervolt started, his attention clearly not on the mare.<p>

"Yes. We do."

"But why does _she_ have to be here for it?" He said, pointing his hoof towards Rainbow Dash.

"I'm here to make sure you don't take off again!" The mare said incredulously.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Thundervolt paused, "Not yet anyway."

Fluttershy immediately grimaced. "Y-you're leaving...again?"

"Not if _I_ have anything to say about it!" The cyan mare quickly moved within an inch of his muzzle.

"You don't," Thundervolt replied harshly, pushing her away and turning to Fluttershy, "You know why I'm doing this. We aren't safe, _you_ aren't safe!"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't form the words before Fluttershy took her chance.

"I'm not any safer with you going away," She said, her features twisting into a worried frown, "Probably less so these days..."

"I... I didn't really think about it like that." Thundervolt said quietly, his eyes falling away from the mare.

"Yeah I bet you didn't!"

"Rainbow!" Fluttershy turned her stare on the mare.

"Jeez, I get it! I'll be somewhere else." Rainbow Dash lazily flew from the room, pointing her hoof from her eyes to Thundervolt, the latter rolling his eyes at the tired display.

Fluttershy watched as her friend left the room. Rainbow Dash had been helping coach her for this moment for a while now, and she thought that not having her there beside her would make talking to Thundervolt hard. A bemused smile made its way onto her face as she thought of her overprotective friend and how she couldn't have been more wrong.

"Flutters..."

"Don't start that with me. I don't care how cute you are, you're going to listen to me!" The crème coated said, blushing slightly, "I missed you."

"I missed you too... I don't want to leave you behind, I just don't know what else to do." Thundervolt walked closer to his marefriend. "If I take you with me, I risk putting you in danger. If I don't... Celestia, now that you're a target..."

"Stop thinking about all that for just a minute and look at me," Fluttershy said, offering the stallion a soft smile, "No amount of danger will ever make me love you less. As long as we know that we're there for each other, we'll be fine."

Thundervolt stared into the mares soft blue eyes and against all odds a smile found its way onto his face.

"I hope you're right. How am I so lucky to have you?" Fluttershy nuzzled the stallion lovingly before speaking again.

"That's easy. You fell out of the sky and right into my heart."

"Oh grody!" Fluttershy and Thundervolt both turned to see Rainbow Dash was back, and standing beside a very amused looking Octavia. "I told you to tell him how you feel, not to make me throw up on him."

"Still dealing with trouble in paradise you two?" Octavia supplied with a smirk.

"If you don't count all the pain and suffering caused by recent traumas then no, its been resolved. Right?" He asked, turning to Fluttershy for confirmation.

"As long as you don't forget about me the next time you go charging ahead, I'll be fine." Fluttershy said. "We're in this together."

"Well I'm glad you two can work out your differences so quickly. I actually wanted to talk to Thundervolt, if that's alright with you?" Octavia asked, sounding more than a bit unsure of herself.

"Of course. Rainbow and I need to get our things together for the return trip tomorrow." Fluttershy walked through the door and turned around just before disappearing out of sight. "Come find me later."

"Oh I will." Thundervolt replied with a sultry look on his face, eliciting another gag from Rainbow Dash before the two pegasi mares left.

"How are you holding up?" Octavia asked hesitantly.

"I'm alive. More than just a drone now, mostly thanks to her." He said, gesturing towards the empty door frame as the cellist joined him in the room. "How about you?"

"More or less the same. I... I was talking to Silver."

"Yes?"

"He thinks, well he brought up that- I don't want to get your hopes up but"-

"He said they haven't found her body yet because there isn't one to find." Thundervolt finished for her, a deep sigh escaping from his chest. "He didn't have to say anything for my mind to wander to that possibility. It's hard to dismiss now that we've learned the same thing might have happened with Nova."

"D-Do you think...?" Octavia choked on her words.

"That she's alive?" Thundervolt seemed to stop and think for a moment before continuing. "I hope so."

"If she's alive, why hasn't she come back? There's no reason she wouldn't have come back."

"Well, I agree that if she didn't die then she would have been healed within a day or two. That river flows through serious forestry and she draws her healing from natural sources. No, if she's alive, she has reason for not being here."

"Do you really believe that?" Octavia asked doubtfully.

"When Rainbow Dash and I were separated as kids, we lost our family. Tempest died, and Coco... Coldfront disappeared. I searched and searched through public records, obituaries...anything I could get my hoofs on and never found a trace of her."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Sometimes I feel like she abandoned us. It wasn't like she had a choice at the time, but then why didn't she come back?"

"I'm sure she would have a good reason."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes." Octavia's eyes widened in understanding. "Thank you."

"We'll find her, even if she didn't make it." He said. "Now that I'm turning the investigation over to Keyes entirely, I'll have the time to invest."

"When are you going to start?"

"I'm not sure. We just got back so I'm sure Silver and Keyes are going to want to take at least a day to recuperate," Thundervolt said, going over the details in his mind, "I'm not going to settle on it just yet. I'll wait until we correspond again with the Princesses and then get back to you. You should come."

"I think I'll have to do that." Octavia said with quiet consideration

"Let's get back to the others. Hopefully they'll get our minds off of this." Thundervolt said hastily, eager to be anywhere else.

_No... I don't think they will..._ Octavia thought, failing to stop a frown from reaching her face.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous. Patmos has to know they don't need to relocate so often!"<p>

"It doesn't matter Megan, he left us with instructions. We get to do all sorts of fun stuff to prepare!"

"Yes, it seems we will be busy in the next few weeks." The younger of the crème colored twins replied, looking to her sister.

"You said it yourself. Our plan pushed everything forward," Ally said simply, her usual enthusiasm gracing her thoughts, "The Elder and the others are probably just making sure they have plenty of time to get everything done."

"You're usually so ridiculous that when you make sense it worries me." Megan snarked, her frost blue eyes scanning her surroundings.

They were currently trekking through the Whitetail Woods, one of Equestria's most famous landmarks. Located just southwest of Canterlot, the forest housed many woodland creatures, most of which being friendly. Unlike it's darker sister, the Everfree, the Whitetail Woods made an excellent place to camp and gather in the wilderness. This was one of the many reasons they were supposed to have met their associates there.

Megan didn't like it.

As she continued to look around, her mind couldn't put to rest the strange feeling places like this gave her. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about the wilderness just made Megan uncomfortable. Her eyes came to rest on her twin and she almost smiled. Ally was always making the best of things. She saw the positives in every situation, and she always found a way to make something entertaining. Megan deeply suspected that it was because she was practically indestructible.

Ally's body would always regenerate. Her body was just as squishy as the next pony's, but nothing seemed to stop her. The worse, the trauma, the longer it took but she always got back up. It's hard to look at anything with worry or fear when you can't die.

As for herself, Megan's true gift laid in her eyes. Those frosted blue orbs that could narrow like a snakes, and force anyone into a very malleable state. Her power allowed her unprecedented control over anyone who decided to look her in the eyes, a tool she used frequently to ensure her victory.

If Megan had to explain how having such a power made her feel, she would say that once you've controlled another being, you finally see others for what they are. Megan knew exactly how to exploit the pink mare in the vest because her eyes told her everything she needed to know. Most ponies eyes betray everything from their mood, to their deepest and darkest secrets.

_Some are just hidden better than others_ she thought as she let her mind wander to the white pegasus stallion with golden eyes. Her window into his soul grew darker and darker the more she looked at him, a fact that still managed to intrigue her. Eyes like his only ever meant one thing, and that was obsession.

Megan knew they would meet again. After what she had done to his friend, he would never stop looking for her. He would spend his entire life trying to find her and make her pay, and she was certain that his friends didn't know how truly lost he had become. Even before they sprang the trap, that stallions eyes were darkening, and that meant he had seen enough to become jaded and dismissive.

That made for a dangerous enemy.

"What are you thinking about?" Ally asked, shaking the mare from her thoughts.

"I'm thinking about the future I suppose." Megan offered idly, not really wanting to talk.

"Well the only future I want to think about is one where we get something to eat. I'm starving."

"We've had this conversation before, Ally"-

"Yea yea, 'my body regenerates so fast that it doesn't need sustenance to survive' and all that bologna," Ally said, her eyes lighting up with excitement, "Oh, we should get some bologna!"

"Ponies aren't supposed to eat meat. We're herbivores." Megan said, her stomach churning at the mere thought of having to eat the flesh of something that was once alive.

"You mean _you're _an herbivore. I may have been born eating plants but now my belly is an omnivore and nothing you say can stop it!" Ally said, her smile growing wider with each word.

"I guess not being required to eat means you can eat just about anything and nothing would happen."

"Yea, like that time I swallowed a batch of concrete!"

Megan couldn't hide the look of disgust as it made its way onto her face. Ally only laughed as her sister no doubt relived an awful weekend of her explaining in detail why shitting bricks in real life was a terrible experience.

"You're disgusting."

"I love you too!"

With a defeated sigh, Megan stopped talking. Her sister's boundless enthusiasm was too much for her to handle at the moment and it looked like that trend would continue well into the day. This, coupled with the fact that they would be walking the entire way to their destination made Megan wish she could fly like a pegasus or teleport like a skilled unicorn. That wasn't the case however, and so she opted to suck it up.

After all, Ponyville wasn't that far away.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Let me know what you thought. Every time I review Master brings dinner down to basement and doesn't hit me.<strong>_


	7. Betrayal

_So it's been a while. Honestly I was pretty much screwed in life until now so I figure its about time to finish this story. The original plot I had for the story is still intact, but I will be cutting a lot of fluff from it in an effort to get the story where it needs to go. To any of you who are reading, thank you, and if any of you out there have been with me since the beginning, you are more dedicated to this story than I am and I hope I won't disappoint. Have a great day, and don't forget to review!_

Chapter 5: Betrayal

**_August 20_****_th_****_, Year 1002 of Celestia's Reign_**

**_(Present Day)_**

"This place is ginormous!"

"I have to agree Applejack; I've never seen a natural formation such as this."

"Right. Natural."

Applejack and Rarity turned away from the spectacle they were currently beholding to look at Daria, who for some reason looked as though she was concealing information. They turned back to look at the cave they were in, unable to wrap their heads around it.

They peered at a small path no wider than about four ponies, suspended above what looked to be a bottomless pit. The darkness below them swallowed just about every drop of light that came its way.

The walls of the cave were formed into what looked like a sphere; an almost perfect, rounded sphere. The sheer scope of the room made the mares feel as though they were trapped inside a very large, very ominous bubble of pain and misery. At least that's how Daria put it.

Rarity thought back to Applejack's criticism of her vanity. She noted the muddy light streaming into the cave from its ceiling made her outfit clash with her hair.

Applejack, more grounded in reality, made an astute observation.

"So we're supposed to git to the other side of this here round room…"

"Yes, that seems to be correct." Rarity replied, not bothering to ask where her companion was going with her statement.

"And y'all expect me to walk across this here feeble lookin' bridge, without wings, or magic."

"That's the gist of it!" Daria replied happily

"Don't worry dear, I brought a grappling hook remember?" Rarity supplied with a smile. "If you fall I'll just swing down and catch you."

"What a relief…" Applejack deadpanned, nervously watching as the pegasus and unicorn moved forward, their hooves tapping audibly on the frail stone bridge.

_What did Ah go and get myself into?_ She thought, not for the first time in the last few hours.

They had already come across a few traps, not all of which had been disarmed, leading to a few close-calls, and more than a few moments Applejack was glad her little sister wasn't around to hear her swear.

And to make matters worse, with every step forward they took, a greater sense of foreboding began to well up inside the Stetson clad earth pony. It was as if all the fear in her heart was freezing over, filling her body with a crippling ice.

Not even the warm looks of her lover up in front could put Applejacks heart at ease, though she did appreciate them. Seconds dragged on and turned into minutes, all of which seemed like hours to the mare. Her heart beating was the only sound she could focus on as the darkness around them threatened to swallow her up forever. A pressure built up inside her, threatening to burst and make her crazy. Applejack's shallow breathing quickly turned heavy, and her vision began to swim.

"Ah- Ah can't…" She choked out, just loudly enough to perk up Daria's ears.

"Uh… Rarity?" Daria asked, looking from Applejack to the stark white unicorn beside her.

An expression of deep concern found its way onto Rarity's face. "Applejack, dear, are you feeling well?"

"Ah can't go no further…" Applejack breathed out desperately, "Ah won't!"

"Applejack?" Rarity stuttered, not knowing how to respond. The once tenacious, lively eyes of her marefriend had taken on a new shape. One of fear, doubt, and something more… Something Rarity couldn't quite place. Understanding…? It looked as though Applejack knew something the rest of them didn't. And Rarity didn't like it.

"Applejack, what is going on? What has you acting so… so afraid!"

"This ain't right! Ah ain't supposed to be here!" Applejack exclaimed, ignoring Rarity's desperate plea.

"Calm down farm girl, there isn't anything to be afraid of!" Daria yelled, growing tired of the situation. "Let's keep going! You're probably just afraid of heights or something."

"Go on without me Rarity, Ah'll be waitin' back at the start of the bridge." Applejack said hastily, turning and running back the way they came. Rarity tried to call her back but it was too late, and the earth pony was soon swallowed up by the darkness.

"What was that all about?" Daria asked brazenly, showing very little concern.

"I don't have the foggiest idea." Rarity said sadly, turning to look at her companion, "I suppose we should continue though."

"You don't want to go after her?"

"I don't think it would do much good, once she's set her mind on something it isn't easy changing it." Rarity paused to let out a sigh. "You saw her, she ran away with her tail between her legs."

"I guess you're right." Daria said, unsure of what to say

"Besides," Rarity sent her gaze further down the dark path that lay before them, "Anything that could inspire such fear in Applejack is something I need to see."

"Oh?" Daria asked curiously, "And why exactly is that?"

"Because anything with that much evil surrounding it can't be anything we want unguarded." Rarity supplied before looking to the ground with deep focus, "I can't quite explain it, but I sensed a wicked presence the second we stepped into this cave."

"I thought it was merely nerves, but with each step we took the feeling grew worse and worse…"

"What are you getting at girl? Spit it out!" The monochromatic pegasus seethed impatiently.

"But at that same time, I began to feel…_excitement_."

"Geez Rarity save the naughty talk for your marefriend," The pegasus rolled her eyes, "I don't see how any of this matters."

"It matters because this cave has slowly been bleeding magic, which for some reason is passing through me!" The unicorn blurted out. Her horn began to glow brighter, much more so than usual, "I realized a few moments ago that the limit I normally reach with my magic has been extended. It feels…amazing."

"You're starting to creep me out Rarity… Let's just keep going, maybe we'll find some answers."

"Maybe…" Rarity said to herself, following Daria deeper into the cave, relishing the chance to discover what it was that made her skin crawl and her heart beat so fast.

_I have to know what lies beyond this path… I simply have to…_

* * *

><p>The evening air was warm, a gentle cross breeze filling the surrounding sky with a touch as soft as a cloud. The sun was almost setting, marking the end of the long day's journey, and the beginning of a long night's objective.<p>

"So then you're positive you know what you're after?"

"As positive as I'm gonna get with you still breathing."

"Aurora, you know I don't like it when you threaten Nova's life like that…"

The pink earth pony cast her bright green eyes at Trixie, looking at her with obvious indifference. Trixie merely sighed and sat down, looking out at the small town laid out before the trio.

"Why did we have to come here of all places?" Trixie said, Ponyville's serene atmosphere choking her with kindness, "Trixie was shamed from this town if you'll recall."

"Well _Trixie_ wasn't half the mage _YOU_ are," Nova said, pausing so that Trixie would be aware of her issues with the third-person, "So I wouldn't let that little experience get to you. We all have bad days."

"At least no one's life gets destroyed when I'm having a bad day." Aurora muttered under her breath, making sure that Nova could hear. Spending the past three months with him did not soften her opinion of the unicorn. She was fairly sure Nova would be a consistent source of anguish for her as long as they both lived.

"Just go get the stupid book and come back quickly. The last thing we need is for any of your friends to see you and ruin our chances." Nova spit out quickly.

"Right." Aurora nodded curtly, turning once more to take in the sight of… home? Is that what she wanted to call it? Sweet Apple Acres seemed like nothing but a dream now that she was back. That simple life she once tried to hide her sorrow in now shrouded Aurora with mixed feelings.

She shook it off, her new combat vest settling comfortably on her body. She turned back to look at Nova and Trixie once more, and then wordlessly darted down the hill they stood upon towards the soft lights of the town.

The small pink pony ran at a brisk pace, keeping close to the trees in case she needed to hide. If anypony she knew happened upon her tonight, it could spell disaster. Aurora thought of her objective, and took a deep breath to calm down.

_I only need to get in, grab the book, and get out. Simple._

Aurora mentally kicked herself for jinxing it.

_It isn't like Twilight's Library has any security in it. Spike is probably with Twilight in Canterlot, at least according to Nova._

The mare shook herself from her thoughts and moved forward. It did not take her long to reach the edge of the town, and once there, moving quickly and quietly through the streets was no problem at all. In a peaceful town with no crime, Aurora could practically slap everyone in the head as she passed without being noticed. She reached the library within minutes and perched herself on a nearby rooftop to get a better look.

From her location she could see into the library clearly. It was well lit as always, being a public building and all. She imagined someone had closed up already, and looking at the near empty streets below her only confirmed that feeling. Without much more thought, Aurora bounded from the roof, landing and rolling to where she stopped mere feet from the front entrance.

_Let's get this done._

Aurora leapt from the ground, wrapping her hoof around the nearest branch she could find. With a few simple kicks of her legs, the petite pink pony found herself bounding up the tree with ease, reaching the second story balcony she had come to know.

She quickly slipped inside the unlocked doors, and made her way down to the main floor of the library. Aurora spied Spike's empty bed and felt a wave of relief that he was in fact gone. The mare quickly got to work, scanning the shelves for the secret opening she knew was there. A minute later, her small pink hoof pressed the wall, opening up a small, box-like compartment.

Aurora reached into the hidden shelf and grabbed a book with her teeth; more specifically, Twilight's copy of the Legends of Equestria.

_I hope Nova knows what he's talking about._

The lock on the front door of the library clicked loudly, eliciting a shocked gasp from Aurora. The heavy book she was holding in her mouth fell to the floor with a loud smack.

"Did you hear that, Fluttershy? Someone's in Twilight's house!" Aurora knew the muffled voice on the other side of the door and ice shot through her veins.

In a second, Legends of Equestria was secure in the pink pony's vest, and she was halfway up the stairs to the balcony. Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash was inside the house and going airborne at about the same time.

Throwing stealth out the window, Aurora burst through the doors to the tree house balcony and, using all of her momentum, leapt over the railing and onto the ground below.

"A-Aurora?"

The pink pony froze, her heart dropping into her stomach. She turned her head and saw Fluttershy, mouth agape, standing at the front door of the library. Tears were streaming down her disbelieving face, and Aurora could see her eyes were filled with questions.

The petite mare willed herself to turn and run, but a heavy object collided with her body and forced her into a roll. She planted her rear hoof into the ground, using it to flip herself back onto her hooves. She slid to a stop, coming to rest in front of a very _very_ angry looking pegasus.

"So you _are_ alive!" Rainbow Dash spit out, "Where have you been!?"

"Hello to you too, Rainbow Dash." Aurora retorted, ignoring her question. "You never saw me here. Let me go, and say nothing to our friends!"

"_Our_ friends? That's rich coming from somepony who didn't bother to tell us she was still alive!"

Rainbow Dash's insult cut Aurora deeply. She knew she was right, but it didn't matter. She had a mission and she wasn't about to let anyone get in her way. Especially not somepony as cocky as Rainbow Dash.

"Don't try and stop me, you don't understand what's going on here." Aurora stated calmly, trying to avoid baiting the foolhardy pegasus.

"Is that a _challenge!?_" The mare spit back, filling Aurora with the desire to face-hoof.

Aurora wordlessly turned and ran as fast as she could towards the nearest set of buildings, using the cyan mare's confusion for a few free seconds head start. In a moment, Aurora reached the wall of the first house, running up the side in one skillful bound.

As soon as she reached the rooftop, a gleaming rainbow shot past her and forced her to the ground with its shockwave.

_I never realized how strong her wings are… They're even more powerful than his._

Aurora shook the thought from her mind and focused on where Rainbow Dash's trail went. It dissipated and took a sudden turn upwards and out of sight. A sharp feeling shot through the petite pink pony and she dove forward, narrowly missing Rainbow Dash as she once again shot out of nowhere, leaving behind a gorgeous display of power.

"I don't want to hurt you Rainbow Dash! Stop this and let me go!" Aurora yelled out, hopelessly trying to communicate her intentions before she resorted to violence. She closed her eyes.

"Fat chance!"

Aurora's ears perked up towards the sound of her voice, and she instinctively twisted her body, reaching out with her hooves and grabbing her target.

The cyan blur was brought to the ground, her wing tangled in the pink pony's clutches. "Let go of me!" The mare yelled, and threw her leg towards Aurora.

She opened her eyes just in time to brush past Rainbow Dash's attack, throwing all of her weight into one punch. With a sickening thud, Aurora's hoof connected with the cyan mares stomach, knocking the wind from the athletes chest.

Without waiting to see her recover, Aurora bolted, closing the distance between herself and Nova in half the time it took previously. As she ran, the thought of her punching Rainbow Dash played in her head over and over again. She added it to the list of things she'd never forgive herself for and pushed her feelings down into her stomach. She came to a rest as she caught sight of him, with Trixie standing at his side.

"You did an excellent job of being noticed." Nova said, his features turning softer, "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Don't worry about it, let's just go."

Trixie and Nova looked at each other before turning and following the petite pink pony away from the town. They had other things to attend to, but both of them were surprised at how eager Aurora was to move on.

As the trio walked away, not one of them noticed a lone cloud up in the sky, or its bashful inhabitant. Fluttershy's heart was broken. She had found out that Aurora was alive, and now she was with Nova, the unicorn who tried to kill them all. And for some reason Trixie…

She choked back tears that would inevitably come and flew as fast as she could to her friend. Rainbow Dash was beginning to pick herself up off the ground when Fluttershy landed beside her and helped her to her hooves.

"I-I couldn't stop her, Flutters…" The cyan mare said sadly.

"Neither of us could. And it gets worse…"

* * *

><p><em>Yes Fluttershy... It does. Thanks for reading! Look forward to next chapter, where pretty much everything explodes into a nightmare of misery for everypony involved!<em>


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